Harry Potter and the Darkest Hour
by Ms Weasly
Summary: Harry arives at the Dursleys after the happenings in the department of mysteries, he has a row with his uncle and his cousin Dudley doesnt behave like his usual self. He gets a new friend, and Harry has an unpleasant encounter with several Death Eaters.
1. Welcome Home

**Chapter 1: Welcome Home**

"Boy! You listen to me when I'm talking to you!" Vernon sneered at Harry.

"Sorry" Harry answered automatically as they entered the house after the car ride home from the station. Harry hadn't said anything all the way. He'd just looked out the window, lost in his own thoughts. Beating himself up for what had just happened a few weeks ago in the department of mysteries.

"You are to behave yourself when Marge arrives tomorrow, do you hear me?" Vernon barked.

"Don't worry; you won't even notice I'm here" Harry answered back indifferently. "I'll rader starve for a month than seeing that old hag again!" he muttered under his breath so no one could hear him. A feeling of annoyance started to grow inside him.

"Don't you take that tone with me, boy! I won't have a scene like the last time she was here! You are to keep your freakiness to your self! Do I make myself clear?" Vernon said in a dangerous voice.

"Yes, uncle Vernon! I'll just remain in my room then, shall I?" Harry answered back irritated. The growing feeling of annoyance, now turning into anger, and he had to control himself not to shout.

Dudley, who always took joy of Harry being yelled at, looked uncomfortable for once. 'How odd,' Harry thought to himself. Dudley just stood behind his plump father, and Harry could almost swear it looked like Dudley was the one being yelled at, judging from the expression on his face. But he hastily brushed it off when he heard uncle Wernons voice again.

"You'd better! If Marge ever find out of that freakiness of yours, I swear you'll regret you've ever been born, boy!" Vernon snarled.

"Don't worry; I'm sure the ministry of magic--" Harry started.

"Don't you dare say those freak words in this house!" Vernon bellowed, his face turning a light colour of red.

"-- will come and modify her mind again if that should ever happen!" Harry continued as if not hearing his uncle speak.

"That's it, boy!" Vernon said angrily, his face growing a darker shade of red now. "It's only out of the goodness of our hearts that we let you stay here—"

"Yeah, right!" Harry interrupted angrily.

"WHAT!" Vernon now yelled. The vain on his for head now throbbing hard, and his face going from dark red to purple.

"For one, I'm not sure any of you have any goodness or a heart for that matter--" Harry began.

"I SWEAR YOU'LL REGRET—" Vernon started yelling. Petunia looked like she'd seen a ghost, and Dudley didn't quite know what to do.

"You know perfectly well that the only reason you let me stay here, is that Dumbledore says you have to, and you're to afraid not to do what he says." Harry now yelled angrily at his uncle. "And if you ever put as much as a finger on me, you'll have to do with the people you met at the train station today!" He added when it looked like Vernon was about to attack him.

At this point Vernon was so angry that, for the first time Harry had ever seen, he just walked away from an argument. Harry used the opportunity and turned on his heels, stomping up the stairs, showing his suitcase inside his room and slamming the door shut. He threw himself on his bed, fuming with anger. 'Great' he thought to himself, 'just what I needed right now! Another dose of the Dursleys.' Harry just lay in his bed staring in the roof for hours. The scene of what happened in the ministry that night, playing over and over again in his head. How could he be so stupid, and fall for Voldemorts trap? Hermione did warn him after all! And now Sirius, the closest thing to a parent he had, was dead. All because of him! Finally he drifted of to an uneasy sleep; filled with the same nightmare he had every night the last weeks.

_Harry went through the same hallway he'd been through numerous times before. It was the same hallway he'd dreamed of all year, and the same hallway he and he's friends had entered a few weeks ago in the dungeons of the ministry. But this time he was alone. He was running towards a door that stood ajar. The hallway seemed endless, but he was determined to reach the end. He reached out for the doorknob, stretching his arm as much as he possibly could. He stumbled over the doorframe, into a room full of doors. Before he could do anything, the room started spinning so fast, he got dizzy. When it finally stopped, he was in the room of prophesy, surrounded by death eaters laughing at him for falling for their masters trap. Just as Harry was about to pull his wand, the room started spinning again, and when it stopped, he was in the big room with the archway. Sirius was there, still alive. He stood by the arch clinging on to his life. "Harry! Help me, Harry! Please don't let me die" Sirius pleaded. But Harry couldn't do anything; he was stuck. "Harry! Why don't you help me?" Sirius kept pleading, a disbelieving expression on his face. "I- I can't! I'm stuck!" Harry said desperately, struggling to get loose as if his own life depended on it. "How could you do this to me!" Sirius barley whispered. Tears started streaming down the face of a helpless Harry. "I'm sorry" he whispered looking at the floor. "Sorry won't save anyone," Sirius hissed, "how could you, Harry? The big hero of our time, wouldn't even save his own godfather? Why?" And then Sirius slipped trough the veil in slow motion. "NOOOOOOO!" Harry yelled._

"Harry? Harry! Wake up! You're having a nightmare!" Harry heard a familiar voice in the distance.

Harry snapped open his eyes, only to face his least favourite cousin. He'd entangled himself in the sheets from all the tossing and turning through the night. "What the hell are you doing in my room?" Harry spat, scrambling out of his bed. He didn't want the Dursley's to know anything about him having nightmares every night.

"Well, you were having a nightmare, so I thought—" Dudley began.

"You thought wrong!" Harry cut inn, putting on some jeans and one of Dudley's old t-shirts he'd inherited. He hurried out of the room, and down the stairs, leaving a puzzled Dudley in his room. He checked his watch, and knew that Uncle Wernon and Aunt Petunia were in London to pick up Marge on the train station, and wanted to use the opportunity to have a quiet breakfast. He made himself a ham and cheese sandwich, and poured himself a glass of milk before sitting down at the kitchen table.

"Err, Harry?" He heard the same voice that had awoken him.

"What do you want, Dudley?" Harry answered in a bored voice, without looking up from his meal.

"Err, are you alright, Harry?" Dudley asked with a mix of concern and uncertainty. He was standing in the entrance of the kitchen, leaning on the doorframe. His blonde hair reflecting a beam of sun coming trough the window.

"What?" Harry almost chocked on his sandwich, and looked up at Dudley in disbelieve. He couldn't believe his own ears. "Why do you care, anyway?" He added, eying his cousin suspiciously.

"Look, people can change, you know! Even you've changed over the past years, ever science you started at that school!" Dudley began.

"Oh yeah? How's that?" Harry interrupted, in an annoyed voice.

"Well, you never spoke back to mum and dad before! And look at you now! Just yesterday you were yelling at dad, and last time Aunt Marge was here you—" Dudley began ranting.

"Blew her up, I get the point. So, why the sudden change in mind, Dudders?" Harry asked sarcastically, finishing his sandwich and emptying his glass of milk.

"Let's just say I grew up, okay?" Dudley answered, sitting down at the kitchen table, as Harry got up and started to clean the dishes after every ones breakfast.

"You grew up?" Harry asked disbelievingly after a while, his back on his cousin. "Well, Dud, if you want me to tell you what's going on in my life, witch involves me trusting you; you'd have to earn my trust, wouldn't you? And if you want to earn my trust, you'll have to do a lot better than to tell me you just grew up! There has to be some sort of reason of the sudden change of heart!" Harry finished, putting everything back where it belonged.

"Fair enough," Dudley sighed, "but mom, dad and Aunt Marge will be back any minute now," Dudley answered, checking his watch.

"Great, then I'll leave the house, before I have to face any of them!" Harry muttered, moving towards the back door, just as he heard a car pulling in to their drive. He slipped quietly trough the door, and made sure his relatives was safely inside the house, before hurrying down the street.


	2. A walk in the park

**A/N: I had writers block while working on this one, so I hope it isn't too bad. Please review. **

**Chapter 2 – A walk in the park**

Harry hurried down the street, until he was in a safe distance from 4 Privet Drive. The sun was high in the sky, and there were only a few clouds in sight. A light breeze rustled in leaves on the trees, and the birds were singing happily. The day seemed to be like every other day in Little Whinging. There was an old lady walking her dog, some girls playing hide and seek, and the post man was delivering the daily post.

It felt liberating to take a walk; to feel the warm sun on his face, and yet the gentle breeze playing with his hair. For once he could empty his mind, and just enjoy the beauty the nature could offer him.

He turned a corner, walking down a road he'd never been before, though the houses looked pretty much the same as in Privet Drive. He recognised some of the names on the mailboxes; that Evans kid, who Dudley and his gang had tormented so many times, lived in a house that looked like no one had taken care of it for a while. The garden was overgrown with weed, and the windows were overgrown with dirt. About five minutes further down the street, Harry recognised the name of one of Dudley's so called friends. That house looked more taken care of; the house looked spotless, and it had a beautiful garden full of flowers in a variety of colours.

Harry continued until the end of the road, where he met a forest line. There was a small path there, leading into the forest. He went inn, and couldn't see much other than trees for the first five minutes. It looked like there was a clearing, and Harry soon found a small lake. 'Perfect,' Harry thought to himself, and headed for the water. He dipped his toe in the water, and it was still very cold. But Harry didn't care about that; he wanted to go for a swim.

He tore off his shirt, and ran quickly into the water, to make it easier to get over the coldness. He swam a couple of laps around the water, before he got out and collapsed on the grass. He lay there for a while to let the sun dry his shorts, and to get warm again.

After he'd lied there for an hour or so, he got up, and decided to move on. He headed out of the forest and up the street. Soon he found himself in Magnolia Crescent. Outside number twelve, there was a truck and some moving people. He continued down the road and took a right turn, to Magnolia Road where the park was. He went into the empty park, and towards the swings.

He sat there for a while just thinking. Thinking of the prophesy, and the meaning of it starting to sink in. Either he or Voldemort had to die. And one of them would kill the other. He also thought of Ron and Hermione, and how he's going to tell them.

"Hi!"

Harry snapped out of his train of thoughts with a jolt. He looked up to see a girl with brown eyes and dark brown hair. "Oh, hi," Harry answered back at the girl who had spoken. He didn't quite know what to do or say.

"Do you mind if I take this swing?" she asked and pointed at the swing on Harry's right side.

"Of course not," Harry answered politely. It was weird, he'd never seen her before, but she somehow reminded him of someone. But he didn't know who.

"I'm sorry if I'm to upfront or something, but I've just moved here, so I don't know anyone… I'm Amy by the way!" The girl announced, and offered her hand to Harry.

"I'm Harry," Harry answered and shook her hand. "So you're the one moving into Magnolia Crescent, right?"

"Yep, just moved in from France two days ago. Me and my mum. The whole house is a mess right now, so I needed to get away for a bit" Amy told Harry.

"Yeah, I know what that's like. You're English is really good for someone who's not from England." Harry stated, and looked curiously at the girl. He just couldn't figure out who she reminded him of.

"Well, I'm originally from England. I was born here and we moved to France just before I was one year old, and my mum thinks it's important that I know my mother tongue properly." Amy answered, shrugging her shoulders.

"Well, it came in handy, didn't it?" Harry joked.

"It sure did," Amy smiled. "So, what about you?"

"Well, I live down in Privet Drive with my aunt, uncle and cousin. And that's the only place I've lived in my life." Harry answered casually.

"Why don't you live with your parents?" Amy asked curiously, looking at Harry as if she'd find the answer just by looking at him.

Harry didn't answer straight away. He didn't know what to say. He couldn't tell her the truth, so he decided to go with the story his aunt and uncle had told him at first.

"I can't live with them, because they died in a car crash fifteen years ago." Harry muttered, looking at his shoes.

"Oh, I'm sorry." Amy answered taken aback.

"It's okay, really. It's not like I remember them or something." Harry tried to say casually.

"No, I don't think its okay. I don't know how it is to grow up without any parents, but I know how it's like to grow up without a father. And it's difficult, it's like a part of me is missing. Like I don't know my true identity or something." Amy said, looking at Harry with a scrutinized look.

"You don't know your father?" Harry asked disbelievingly.

"No, mum never told him about getting pregnant with me. So he doesn't know I exist. But I'm going to try to find him though. I just hope he still lives around London somewhere." Amy said thoughtfully.

"I'm sure you'll find him anyway. It shouldn't be too difficult, I guess." Harry said in a reassuring voice.

"Nah, probably not. So where do you go to school anyway?" Amy asked curiously.

"You wouldn't have heard of it. It's a boarding school way up north, not so interesting really." Harry answered casually. He hoped she wouldn't ask more, because he had no idea what to tell her if she did.

"Oh, me too. I mean I'm going to a boarding school too, but I have no idea where it is." Amy explained. "Well, I've got to go home now, mum's probably worried, and I have to help her with all the stuff anyway."

"Yeah, I'd better get home too." Harry answered.

"Great, then we can walk together. That's if you're going the same way?" Amy asked.

"Yeah, it's the same way!" Harry smiled, and they got up and left the park.

"Well, it was nice to meet you," Harry said as they stood outside of Amy's house, "I'm sure I'll see you around..." He interrupted himself, and turned his head to see what she were looking at. Here eyes were big, and her face had an expression of uncertainty.

"Oh no!" The bright shade of green was lighting up his and Amy's face. The figure was only too familiar to Harry. The glowing skull was shining in a sharp contrast of the dark sky, the snakelike tongue creeping out of its mouth.


	3. The Dark Mark

A/N: Yay, a review! Thank you so much, me happy  Okay, so here's the next chapter, hope you'll enjoy. Please review.

**The Dark Mark**

"Is that--?" Amy started, but before she could finish, Harry had taken off at a run. Sprinting down the street as fast as his feet could take him, and Amy ran after him. He took a right turn, and ran down Privet Drive. Just outside Number 4, Privet Drive, he saw six hooded figures, having caught his cousin Dudley prisoner. Amy stopped dead in her own tracks, just behind Harry. She gasped at the scene before her.

"So nice of you to join us, Potter," one of the Death Eaters sneered. "We knew you wouldn't let us down."

"Is that so?" Harry shouted, seeing his aunt Petunia from the corner of his eye. She looked like a lump lying on the ground, loud sobs coming from her direction.

"Don't be smart with us, Potter" another of the Death Eater's spat. It could only have been Lucius' voice. He gave a brief nod to the Death Eater pointing his wand at Dudley.

"CRUCIO!" shouted the voice of Bellatrix Lestrange, and Dudley fell to the ground. Yelling and twitching from the pain it caused him.

"NO!" Petunia shouted, "Please let him go!" She pleaded, and turned to Harry, "Harry, please" she looked at him, as for asking him to save her only child.

"Why don't you cowards let him go, and fight me fair?" Harry shouted angrily, and Bellatrix lifted her wand. Leaving Dudley lying in a heap on the ground, not daring to move. "You're six Death Eaters fighting a sixteen year old kid after all? I've got no one here to protect me, so why are you so afraid?" He continued, in an angry voice. An expression on his face that would've scared most people off, but Lucius merely laughed at him.

"So, the great Harry Potter wants to fight us," Lucius smirked. "Sure, let's see what you can do, Potter" He spat, a contemptuous look on his face.

Harry aimed his wand at Lucius. Harry didn't know why he'd challenged them like that; he knew it was a stupid thing to. He couldn't possible get the upper hand on six Death Eaters, and he knew for a fact that they wouldn't fight him fair. At least it'd taken their attention away from Dudley.

"STUPEFY!" Lucius shouted, and Harry had barley time to react: "PROTEGO" he shouted, and a shield erupted from his wand, protecting him from the spell.

"Isn't that cute," Lucius smiled sarcastically, "but that charm won't protect you for more powerful charms you now!" And before Harry could do anything, he felt every worry leave his mind. He was relaxed, and he could hear a voice in the distant: "Give up, Potter, throw away your wand and come with us!" Harry was just about to obey, when he started wondering why. After all, it would be a pretty stupid thing to go with the Death Eaters.

"I don't think so," Harry answered the voice.

"WHAT?" Lucius bellowed, "You're coming with us now!"

"No!" Harry shouted back, "No I won't!" And at once, he felt the real world coming back to him, staring Lucius in the eye.

"Oh yes, you will!" Lucius hissed. "CRUCIO!"

The curse hit Harry with such force; he was thrown on his back, screaming of the intolerable pain it caused him. After what seemed like an eternity, the curse was lifted. Harry scrambled to his feet, his whole body acing after the fall and the aftermath of the curse. He pointed his wand at Lucius, his hand trembling.

"If you think that hurt, Potter, it's noting compared to what we have in store for you!" Lucius laughed. "CRUCIO!" He yelled, and once more Harry was on the ground screaming. The curse lifted again, and he could hear the Death Eaters laughing and his aunt weeping. This time, it took even more effort to get up, but he was determined not to give up.

"You're persistent, Potter!" Lucius sneered, "Maybe we should check if you've got better endurance than the Longbottoms!"

"What an excellent idea, Lucius!" Bellatrix had taken off her hood, and had an evil grin on her face.

Harry where infuriated at this remark. Not only where she the person responsible for torturing those pore people to insanity, but she had killed his godfather too. "IMPEDIMENTA" He yelled, and just as the spell hit her, he was hit with another cruciatus curse from Lucius.

Harry got up on his feet again. It took him a great deal of energy to get up, but he wasn't prepared to give in, his knuckles where white from clutching his wand tightly. He muttered something that couldn't be heard, and a silver stag erupted from his wand. He whispered something in its ear, and it took of at a run.

"Do you really think a patronus could save you?" Lucius laughed. "There are no dementors here tonight" He finished with an evil grin.

As the effects of Harry's curse on Bellatrix wore off, she'd gotten pretty angry. "You won't get away with that, Potter!" She aimed her wand at him, and threw another cruciatus curse at him. "Let's indeed se if you can handle more than those Longbottoms!" she yelled over Harry's loud screams.

"Don't overdo it now, Bella!" Lucius said, and the curse was lifted. "The Dark Lord wants his sanity intact when dealing with him."

This time Harry couldn't find the energy to get up again, his knees gave in to him when he tried.

"Don't you think I know that, Lucius? Do you really think that I'd want to repeat my mistakes? No, the boy can handle a lot more than this. I know when to stop." Bella hissed, throwing the curse at Harry again.

The screams of Harry Potter filled Privet Drive, as the Death Eater took it in turn to cast the curse at him. Eventually his screams died away, as even that were too painful. He started drifting in and out of consciousness after a couple dozen hits.

"That's enough," Lucius flung out his arm to prevent Bellatrix from throwing the curse again. "The boy is unconscious; we'll need him in one peace for our Master! You can continue, if you like, as soon as he's awake."

"Fine!" Bellatrix snapped. And just as she was about to conjure ropes to tie up Harry with, a series of pops could be heard around them. The arrival of a dozen order members took the Death Eaters with surprise, and before they knew what hit them, tree of them where stunned, one was fleeing, and the two others tried to fight the order members. They knew it was a loosing battle, and disappeared with two loud pops.

"Oh my god!" Mrs Weasley gasped of the sight of Harrys limp body, and Mr Weasley held her tightly to comfort her. Petunia was clinging hard to her son. McGonagal and Dumbledore had run up to Harry, and turned him over to his back.

"He's barley breading, Albus!" McGonagal said in a worried voice to the headmaster. "Do you think… I mean, could they…?"

"I don't know, Minerva. I really don't know." The old man answered, his eyes looking sorrowful. "We'll need to take him to St.Mungos strait away, there's no time to loose! Tonks, Alastor, would you take him? I'll right behind you." And with that Moody and Tonks conjured a stretcher and brought Harry with them.

Lupin noticed the girl who stood paralysed, tears streaming down her face. He'd never seen her before, but she seemed oddly familiar to him anyway. "Are you alright, miss?" he asked her.

"I- I- just, I-!" she began stuttering. As an instinct Remus hugged her, and she began to cry uncontrollably into his shoulder. "I thought he was gone," she whispered so only he could hear. "I thought he disappeared fifteen years ago, and those Death Eaters too! And then I saw the Dark Mark, and- and Harry… I didn't know… He's just a kid like me…!"

"Sssh, it's going to be all right!" Remus soothed her, and letting her cry for a while. "So, do you have a name, miss?"

She stopped sobbing, and pulled away from Lupin. "I'm Amy Abigail Maddison Black" she said in a low voice.

Dumbledore slowly walked towards Petunia and Dudley. He stretched out his hand to help them up. Hesitantly Petunia accepted his hand.

"Did any of you get hurt?" Dumbledore asked with great graveness. The twinkle in his eyes was totally gone, and he seemed to age for each minute that went by.

Petunia nodded. "T- they h- hit him with s- some torturing sp-spell or something!" Petunia sobbed, clinging to Dudley.

"I see," Dumbledore answered thoughtfully. "I would like it if the two of you came with me to St. Mungos. Mr. Dursley will get something to ease the pain and get some well needed rest."

Petunia didn't object, and quietly followed the old wizard.

"Hi, Amy. I'm Remus Lupin," Lupin said and offered his hand to her, and she shock it. "So, does your mum know where you are?"

"No, I was just about to go home when I and Harry saw that mark." Amy answered, looking at her own feet.

"Okay, then I'll be more than happy to follow you home, Amy. And I'll have a chat with your mum, and explain the situation to her..."

"No, I want to go and see Harry!" Amy cut inn, looking Lupin in the eye.

"I understand that, but he won't be taking any visitors tonight. And besides, if your mum has seen the Dark Mark, she'll be worried sick for you. I'll talk to her, and see if you can come tomorrow, okay?" Lupin explained.

"Okay," Amy sighed, and waited for Lupin to have a word with Dumbledore before he followed her home.


End file.
